After missing the first three preseason games, Luka Doncic suited up in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ matchup against the Phoenix Suns on October 14. Doncic finished the 113-104 loss with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes.
The Lakers gave Doncic extra rest after a busy summer with Slovenia at the 2025 EuroBasket. Coach JJ Redick liked what he saw from his superstar, but the most important thing was Doncic was having fun and smiling again.
“He has an ability to do what I would call it, like, silly stuff, but still be locked in. It’s important to him that basketball is fun. He’s at play. And that’s part of what makes him great,” Redick told Dan Woike of The Athletic after the game.
Despite playing well after arriving from the Dallas Mavericks last February, Doncic wasn’t himself because of the shock of getting traded. He improved his conditioning over the summer and looked nearly unstoppable for Slovenia.
A full offseason of preparation and workouts seems to have worked wonders for “Luka Magic,” who was skipping and dancing and jumping during the game against the Suns.
Luka Doncic’s Offseason Regimen
One of the biggest criticisms of Luka Doncic was his poor conditioning, which has led to muscle-related injuries. Doncic has also looked overweight at times during his career and used the season to get in game shape.
However, that all changed this offseason when Doncic used a new regimen to get his body right. He began by going through intermittent fasting to lose weight and eating the right food, cutting back on pizza and beer, as reported by Andrew Heffernan of Men’s Health.
“This offseason, every day but Sunday, Doncic fasts from 8:30 PM to 12 noon the following day. That’s 16 hours with nary a calorie, with the first workout of each day performed at the end of the fasting window,” Heffernan wrote.
Doncic told Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal that he didn’t play basketball for a month. He focused on his conditioning, flexibility, mobility and fitness. He hired several personnel to help him on his journey, and “Skinny” Luka was fantastic at the 2025 EuroBasket.
Luka Doncic’s Mentality Amid LeBron James’ Absence
LeBron James is set to miss a few games to start the season because of sciatica. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are going to be the first and second options on offense, so it’s up to the rest of the roster to step up.
Speaking to reporters on October 11 after practice, Doncic gave his take on playing without James at the beginning of the campaign. They are going to miss him, but it’s all about the next man up mentality for the entire team.
“At the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up. We’ve got a group of guys that’s been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We need him, but our mentality has to be next man up. I just want to play basketball, nothing less, nothing more. Whatever it takes to win,” Doncic said, as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Los Angeles Lakers begin the season on October 21 at the Crypto.com Arena. They are set to welcome Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
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